State PTA president calls for investment in children

PRESS RELEASE
May 1, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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PTA leader calls for investment in children
State PTA ballot positions reflect same message

San Jose - Pam Brady, the president of the California State PTA, called on all Californians to support the well-being of children as a budget priority for the state.

"There is a direct relationship between investing in children and building a viable economy," Brady told the crowd of thousands of PTA members and delegates representing the organization's nearly 1 million volunteer members. "Children of today are the workforce of tomorrow. It is not OK to let more children fall between the cracks. It is not OK to let more children go hungry, and it is not OK that the great state of California is willing to balance its budget by putting a whole generation of children at risk."

Brady's comments were part of her president's address today to the convention of the state's largest and oldest volunteer organization advocating to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth. PTA members, Brady said, must remind state leaders that investing in services for children and education pays off, and that not doing so hurts every Californian.

"Over time, as we cut programs or attempt to save money in education, we drive expenses up by 1,000 percent to 2,000 percent in others areas of the budget," she said. "Unemployment rates, soar, homelessness increases, social services costs rise, and there is a higher demand for police services in our local communities, along with escalating prison populations."

The California State PTA's positions on the May 19 election reflect Brady's message. They are based on statewide resolutions and position statements adopted each year by thousands of delegates at the annual convention. This is the 110th annual convention for the state organization. The convention began on April 30 and runs through Sunday morning.

An abbreviated review of the California State PTA's positions on the May 19 ballot follow.

Proposition 1A - Support. This initiative would restore education funding (if Proposition 1B also passes), temporarily increase state revenues and establish a "rainy day" stabilization fund.

Proposition 1B - Support. This would require the state to make annual supplemental payments totaling $9.3 billion to schools and community colleges to make up for recent budget cuts. (Funding for it is contingent on the passage of Proposition 1A.) PTA supports adequate funding for public education, which has suffered budget cuts that threaten an entire generation of children.

Proposition 1C - Support. This calls for modernization of the lottery, generating additional revenues to offset the current budget deficit. Also, because it disconnects school funding from the lottery, it can dispell the common misperception that schools receive a large share of funding from the lottery.

Proposition 1D - Oppose. This would negatively affect key children's services by redirecting for five years some "First 5" funds away from programs that PTA supports, including early childhood education, health care access, education for new parents and support for families in crisis.

Proposition 1E - Support. This proposition would allow for the redirection for two years of some Proposition 63 funds for mental health programs. California State PTA strongly supported the proposition and continues to advocate for adequate mental health services, but it supports Proposition 1E because it can help mitigate the state's current budget deficit, and the redirection of its funds is limited to two years. In addition, the author of Proposition 63, Sen. Darrell Steinberg, has strongly endorsed this measure as a viable short-term option.

Proposition 1F - No Position. This initiative would prohibit legislators and the Governor from receiving pay increases in years when the state budget is running a deficit.

For more information on the California State PTA's ballot positions, visit its website at www.capta.org.

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everychild.onevoice.

The California State PTA has nearly 1 million members throughout the state working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto, "Every child, one voice." The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest and highest profile volunteer organization working to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is nonprofit, nonsectarian and noncommercial.

For more information about the California State PTA, visit www.capta.org.